Tame Your Mane: 6 Tips for Maintaining Curly Hair

I’ve seen it, and I’m sure you’ve seen it too: the plethora of straight hair that has been smothered by heat and is ever-damaged. But in the past year, we’ve seen a change from straightened hair to curly hair, or at least soft “beachy” waves. Women are still trying to attain this sort of “beauty” of having long straight hair, but 2016 is quickly becoming the year to wear your hair with its natural texture. Whether you have loose waves, tight curls, or somewhere in the middle, now is the time for you to put down your hair straightener or curling iron, and use the proper product to let your natural hair shine. Here’s how you can achieve the right look for you.

Get a Proper Cut

Curly hair cannot be cut the same as straight hair. Find a hairdresser who is used to cutting and working with curly hair. Some hairstylists cut curly hair dry, called the Deva Cut, where they cut your locks in accordance to where your curls peak the most. Other may cut your hair wet—you should find what works best for your hair and what hairstyle works best for your curls. Beware of the dreaded triangle hair; ensure your hair is cut with layers and you will avoid that look.

Reduce Hair Washing

How often are you washing your hair per week? Note that washing your hair every day is harmful and dries it out. But the unknown main culprit? Sulfates. This is what causes your shampoo to foam up when you wash your hair, but it is also a drying agent which can cause frizz. If you have wavy or curly hair, I suggest switching out to no-poo or low-poo shampoo. Check out DevaCurl which has a full line of products. You can also check out the Kevin Murphy brand which is sold at Salon Mod, right here on Danforth Avenue.

Avoid Hair Brushes

Or at least don’t brush it dry. Curls and waves are multiple strands of hair which form together. When you take a brush to those locks, you are separating those strands of hair and in doing so, create frizz as they are no longer formed together. If you must dry brush to take out tangles, use a wide-toothed comb. You can also brush your hair while wet, or right before you wash it. Through trial and error, you will learn more about your hair. There are many curly haired girls who can brush their hair the minute they get out of the shower, whereas some can’t because at that point the curly locks will have already started to form and once brushed, they will not form back together and frizz will begin.

Use the Right Product

Whether you put it in your sopping wet hair (like me), or apply it to towel-dry hair, you should find what works best for your curls. There are mousses, creams, gels, and many other products you can find on the market. Flip your hair over upside down and scrunch it in order to saturate the product throughout all your strands and squeeze out any excess water, or twist your hair into curls with the product in your hands, helping to form curls.

Scrunch Your Hair Dry

Stop towel drying your hair by furiously rubbing it with a towel. Instead, switch to a cotton t-shirt or microfiber towel and lightly scrunch your hair. Rubbing your hair causes damage, frizz, and split ends, while scrunching it with a cotton t-shirt is a lot gentler and will not damage your hair.

Other Ways To Dry Your Hair

If you have the time, air dry your hair. If not, apply a heat protectant and use a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment. Use it in the same way you applied your product: flip your hair upside down and gather your curls in the spikes, bringing it up to your roots. Diffusers help reduce frizz as they distribute the air flow over a wide area, and the spikes gently gather your curly locks together. Also, keep the setting on low speed and a cool heat setting. If you’re on a time crunch, however, you can try putting the heat setting on warm—never hot. Your curls are delicate and high speeds and high heat will only damage your hair.

With this new routine, I hope every one of you with curly and wavy hair can learn to embrace your wild side. Go forth into the world, my curly gals, and love your locks.

Photos courtesy of Pixabay.org

Catherine Belvedere is the Production Manager for the summer issue of On The Danforth. She relaxes by binge watching shows on Netflix while slowly working on her knitting projects, and she has a fierce love of the Oxford comma. You can find her blog here, or follow her on twitter and instagram.